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Love by degrees: A Canadian couple’s education gap

Mari Sasano and her partner Aaron Macri in Edmonton on June 23, 2013. They represent a trend that women are earning more degrees than men. Sasano has two university degrees and Macri has none.Photo: Postmedia News/Ian Jackson

If the battle of the sexes were won on education, women would have a distinct edge. So suggests the latest wave of the National Household Survey, which on Wednesday revealed that women aged 25 to 64 now hold 54 per cent of all university degrees, and 60 per cent of the degrees among young adults.

In Edmonton, partners Mari Sasano and Aaron Macri are no strangers to the education gap. She’s a university instructor and arts administrator with two degrees, and he’s a theatre school dropout turned composer and sound designer.

Postmedia News: Mari, why did you pursue so much education? And Aaron, why did you drop out?

Mari: “I just didn’t feel like I was done. … People have respect for postgraduate degrees because it shows the ability to work your a– off and reach a goal. It assures people that I’m not a slacker.”

Aaron: “I lost interest … I always assumed I’d go back to college or university, but I didn’t bother. I didn’t end up needing to.”

Mari: “I couldn’t have gotten my teaching contract without an MA … Finishing my master’s degree (also) gave me a great deal of confidence. No matter what happens in my life, I can always say, ‘I did that.’”

Postmedia News: How has the education difference affected your relationship?

Aaron: “I was nervous, when we first started dating, that when I texted her or sent her an email, she would get turned off by my terrible grammar and godawful spelling … That I’d write something and she’d be like, ‘That’s a total f—ing deal-breaker.’”

Mari: “I’m not one of those really judgy people … I recognize that people have their own strengths and people have their own learning styles.”

Aaron: (laughs) “I don’t even know what a past participle is.”

Mari: “But, you know, he doesn’t need to.”

Postmedia News: Why do you suppose women are pursuing higher levels of education than men?

Mari: “Women have to work twice as hard to get half as far. They need to be able to prove their credentials.”

Aaron: “You know the stereotype that guys don’t ask for directions? There’s some macho stuff going on where, sometimes, guys get to the point where they don’t want to be told; they want to learn for themselves. Women are more willing to take advice.”

Misty Harris is a nationally recognized journalist known for her stories on social science, consumer trends, demographics, academic studies, and marketing. For more than a decade, her articles have been... read more featured on the front pages of Canada’s top newspapers, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Vancouver Sun, Victoria Times-Colonist, Montreal Gazette, The Province, The Leader-Post, The Star-Phoenix, The Windsor Star, and Ottawa Citizen, in addition to such online news hubs as Canada.com.
Harris has been honoured by the Society for Features Journalism; appeared as a pop culture commentator on CTV, Global News and BBC World Service; reported on fashion, health and lifestyle issues for Flare magazine; and spoken as a guest lecturer at universities in Canada and the U.S.
She is a collector of hot sauces and disappointments.View author's profile